Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2007 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Synopsis
In October 1942, a panzer officer wrote 'Stalingrad is no longer a town...Animals flee this hell; the hardest stones cannot bear it for long; only men endure'. The battle for Stalingrad became the focus of Hitler and Stalin's determination to win the gruesome, vicious war on the eastern front. The citizens of Stalingrad endured unimaginable hardship; the battle, with fierce hand-to-hand fighting in each room of each building, was brutally destructive to both armies. But the eventual victory of the Red Army, and the failure of Hitler's Operation Barbarossa, was the first defeat of Hitler's territorial ambitions in Europe, and the start of his decline. An extraordinary story of tactical genius, civilian bravery, obsession, carnage and the nature of war itself, Stalingrad will act as a testament to the vital role of the soviet war effort.

Customer Reviews

Excellent book :o)
This book is very well written - it is storytelling at its best - and therfore for the general reader - but also an amateur historian like me found it a great pleausure to read. Beevors Berlin book is recommendable as well, and I am looking forward to read his book on Leningrad.

Stunning - jaw dropping stuff !
Getting down to business, everbody should read this book.....

Rarely have I come across a book that sucks you in so quickly. It starts brilliantly and delivers on its promise right to the end. For years I'd heard great reports about this masterpiece and had seen it on many bookshelves. Expections were enormous, but they were wildly surpassed.

The writer paces the book perfectly, layering and building up the story with skill. You journey with the troops, experience their daily hopes and fears. German optimism sinks into despair before spiraling downward into total panic. The Russians endure epic defeat before flipping their enemy over, regroup and drive towards victory. Its all told with amazing clarity and passion. The book shocks the senses, you can't read this book with sense of detachment.

Beevor skillfully changes perspective, sweeping from grand battles to individual stories of horror and hope. The writers sense of humanity shines through, giving the work a welcome human touch. He manages to walk the line and resists the urge to take sides, so the book resonates with honesty.

Its a thrilling ride which leaves you breathless. I finished it much too quickly, the best complement I could pay any book. Suffering withdrawal symptoms, I've already ordered Beevor's book on the Spanish Civil War.

An outstanding book
Beevor has succeeded in weaving a compelling, thoroughly researched piece of work documenting one of the darkest periods in modern history. The enormity of catastrophe that befalls first the Soviet citizen and Red Army following Germany's invasion, right through to the encirclement and starvation of the German Sixth Army, are described in a riveting (and sobering) detail. The earlier chapters of the book deal with the events that lead to the battle of Stalingrad, although obviously in much less detail than the battle itself (or else the book would span volumes). Where the book really shines, is it's readability - Beevor has the rare qualities of being both an expert historian and a storyteller at the height of his powers. He skilfully interweaves political events, battles, enormous acts of cruelty, military incompetence and personal suffering with staggering acts of heroism and self sacrifice. One of the best books I have ever read - and one that highlights why worlds should be moved to prevent war.